hound
gb/hˈaʊnd/ us/hˈaʊnd/
B2
English
~ 8000
vadászkutya, kopó, zaklat, üldöz, fanatikus, rajongó, gazember, rohadék, aljas kutya, eb, szemétláda
NOUN
B2
1
vadászkutya
B1
kopó
B2
Usage pattern:
[a hound] chases [an animal]
The hounds picked up the fox’s scent and ran into the woods.
A vadászkutyák elkapták a róka szagát, és berohantak az erdőbe.
A pack of hounds waited quietly beside the hunters.
Egy falka vadászkutya csendben várt a vadászok mellett.
His family has bred hunting hounds for generations.
The sleek hound sprinted across the field with incredible speed.
Learner examples
The hound followed the smell of the rabbit.
A vadászkutya követte a nyúl szagát.
Several hounds ran after the deer.
Több vadászkutya futott a szarvas után.
He keeps two hounds that he uses for hunting.
We heard the hounds barking in the night.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use "hound" to mean any pet dog. In modern English, "hound" usually means a dog used for hunting or a specific hunting breed, not just any dog.
Meaning
Dog used for hunting
Collocations
pack of hounds
|hunting hound
|scent hound
|baying hounds
|sleek hound
Synonyms
hunting dog (Neutral and explicit; clearly states the dog is used for hunting, without suggesting a particular breed.)
|
hound dog (Informal; often used in American English and popular culture, especially in music, for a hunting-type dog.)
Antonyms
prey (Refers to the animal being hunted, so it is the opposite role to the hunting hound.)
Themes
animals
|sports
|outdoors
|nature
|core_vocabulary
Definition
A type of dog that people use for hunting other animals, usually by smelling their trail.
A dog that is specially bred and trained to hunt animals, especially by following their scent.
VERB
C1
2
Usage pattern:
to hound [someone] (for/about [something])
The singer was hounded by the press after the scandal broke.
A botrány kirobbanása után a sajtó folyamatosan zaklatta az énekest.
Debt collectors hounded him for months until he finally paid.
A behajtók hónapokig zaklatták, míg végül ki nem fizette.
Activists have hounded the minister for a clear explanation.
She felt hounded out of her job by constant criticism.
Learner examples
Reporters hounded the actor with many questions.
Az újságírók rengeteg kérdéssel zaklatták a színészt.
The company hounded him for payment every week.
A cég minden héten zaklatta, hogy fizessen.
He was hounded by phone calls from sales people.
She felt hounded by her boss’s daily emails.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse "hound" with "hunt" and say things like *"The media hunted him"* instead of *"The media hounded him"*. Use "hound" when focusing on constant pressure or following, not on trying to catch or kill like in hunting.
Meaning
Harass or pursue relentlessly
Collocations
hound someone for answers
|hounded by reporters
|hound someone out
|hounded by debt
|hound someone day and night
Synonyms
harass (A bit more formal and common in legal or workplace contexts; similar idea of repeated unwanted pressure.)
|
pester (Softer and more informal; suggests annoying repeated requests rather than serious pressure.)
|
persecute (Stronger and more serious; often implies cruel or unfair treatment over a long time.)
Antonyms
leave alone (Means to stop bothering or following someone, the opposite of continuing to hound them.)
Themes
emotions
|media
|work
|relationships
|communication
|core_vocabulary
Definition
To keep following or asking someone again and again in a way that makes them feel tired or stressed.
To chase, follow, or pressure someone again and again in an aggressive or annoying way, so that they feel they cannot escape.
NOUN
C1
INFORMAL
3
Usage pattern:
[a type] hound
He’s a real movie hound who goes to the cinema three times a week.
Igazi filmfanatikus: hetente háromszor jár moziba.
The governor was called a publicity hound for always appearing on TV.
A kormányzót nyilvánosság-hajhásznak nevezték, mert mindig a tévében szerepelt.
She’s a bargain hound who can’t resist a big sale.
Some critics say the star is a social-media hound, posting every detail of her life online.
Learner examples
My brother is a sports hound and watches every game.
A bátyám sportfanatikus, és minden meccset megnéz.
She is a coffee hound and drinks many cups a day.
Kávéfanatikus, és naponta sok csészével iszik.
The singer is a publicity hound and loves being on TV.
He is a news hound and reads several newspapers every morning.
Common mistake:
Learners may think "hound" alone means an enthusiastic person. In this sense it is almost always used after another noun, like "movie hound" or "publicity hound", to show what the person is focused on.
Meaning
Person obsessed with something
Collocations
movie hound
|publicity hound
|sex hound
|bargain hound
|news hound
Synonyms
fanatic (Stronger and often negative; suggests extreme behavior beyond normal enthusiasm.)
|
buff (Informal and usually positive; common for interests like "film buff" or "history buff".)
Antonyms
dabbler (A person who is only a little interested and does something in a light, casual way, not with strong focus.)
Themes
personality
|hobbies
|media
|daily_life
|communication
|core_vocabulary
Definition
A person who really loves one thing and always wants more of it, sometimes too much.
A person who is very keen on a particular activity or thing and spends a lot of time and energy on it, often to an excessive degree.
NOUN
C2
LITERARY
4
Usage pattern:
call [someone] a hound
“You lying hound,” she spat, slamming the door in his face.
„Te hazug gazember” – köpte oda, és becsapta előtte az ajtót.
The novel’s villain is a cruel hound who enjoys others’ pain.
A regény gonosztevője egy kegyetlen gazember, aki élvezi mások fájdalmát.
They called him a miserable hound for leaving his family with nothing.
Only a heartless hound would treat his friends that way.
Learner examples
In the story, the man is a real hound who hurts many people.
A történetben a férfi egy igazi gazember, aki sok embert bánt.
She shouted, "You hound!" and walked away.
Azt kiabálta: „Te gazember!”, és elsétált.
The writer paints him as a cold hound with no feelings.
They think he is a hound because he cheated his friends.
Common mistake:
This insult sense is less common and mostly found in stories or dramatic speech. Learners may try to use it in everyday talk where it can sound strange or old-fashioned.
Meaning
Cruel or despicable person
Collocations
you miserable hound
|poor hound
|that dirty hound
|heartless hound
Synonyms
scoundrel (Old-fashioned but similar; describes a dishonest or morally bad person.)
Antonyms
gentleman (Suggests a polite, honorable man, the opposite of a contemptible "hound".)
Themes
insults
|character
|communication
|relationships
|core_vocabulary
Definition
A very bad or cruel person, spoken about with strong dislike.
A person, usually a man, described with strong dislike, as if he were a vicious or hateful dog.
Grammar
Dictionary form
hound
IPA
GB/hˈaʊnd/
US/hˈaʊnd/
Syllables & stress
hound (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (hound)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: hound
- Plural: hounds
Verb
- Base: hound
- 3rd Person Singular: hounds
- Present Participle: hounding
- Past: hounded
Word family
Forms
hounds
noun
hounding
verb
hounded
verb
Related words
bloodhound
noun
greyhound
noun
Expressions
be hounded by
1/bˈi hˈaʊndɪd bˈaɪ/
fixed phrase
Suffer constant harassment from
To have people or problems follow you again and again so you feel you cannot escape.
Examples
- She felt hounded by reporters everywhere she went.
- Many families are hounded by debt after losing their jobs.
- The actor has been hounded by rumors about his private life.
hound out
1/hˈaʊnd ˈaʊt/
phrasal verb
Force someone out by pressure
To make someone leave a job, position, or place by putting strong and repeated pressure on them.
Examples
- The coach was hounded out after a series of losses.
- Local residents hounded the corrupt official out of office.
- Several journalists say they were hounded out of the newsroom for criticizing management.
news hound
1/njˈuz hˈaʊnd/
idiom
informal
Eager seeker of news
A person, often a journalist, who is very eager to find and follow news stories.
Examples
- He’s a real news hound who is always first on the scene.
- As a young news hound, she covered every protest in the city.
- The documentary follows a team of news hounds chasing breaking stories around the world.
publicity hound
1/pəblˈɪsɪti hˈaʊnd/
idiom
informal
person who loves publicity
A person who always wants to be in the news and tries very hard to get attention from the media.
Examples
- Some voters see the candidate as more of a publicity hound than a serious leader.
- Some critics say the politician is just a publicity hound.
- Critics called the influencer a shameless publicity hound.
- She became known as a publicity hound who would do anything to be on camera.
- He’s such a publicity hound that he never turns down an interview.